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Complete genome sequence of Diaporthe vaccinii Shear, a fungal isolated from blueberry

Summary

Scientists have sequenced the complete genetic blueprint of a fungus called Diaporthe vaccinii that causes serious disease in blueberry plants. Using advanced DNA sequencing technology, they created a high-quality map of the fungus’s 60.2 million base pair genome. This genetic information will help researchers understand how the fungus causes disease and potentially develop better ways to protect blueberry crops from this costly plant pathogen.

Background

Diaporthe vaccinii Shear is a destructive plant pathogen causing substantial economic losses in commercial Vaccinium crops through necrotrophic pathogenesis manifesting as twig blight, stem canker, dieback, leaf chlorosis, and postharvest fruit rot. The strain CBS 118571 was originally isolated from blueberry in Michigan, USA and is deposited at the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.

Objective

To elucidate the molecular virulence determinants of D. vaccinii, the study aimed to obtain a high-contiguity de novo genome assembly using hybrid sequencing technology combining Oxford Nanopore Technologies with Illumina short-read sequencing.

Results

The hybrid genome assembly comprises 64 contigs with a total length of 60.2 Mb and a GC content of 48.3%. BUSCO analysis identified 99.3% of conserved fungal orthologs as complete, confirming exceptional assembly continuity. Illumina reads mapping rate was 97.99% and ONT reads mapping rate was 89.92%.

Conclusion

A complete high-quality genome sequence of D. vaccinii CBS 118571 was successfully generated, providing a valuable resource for elucidating the molecular virulence determinants of this destructive blueberry pathogen and facilitating future research on its pathogenesis mechanisms.
  • Published in:Microbiology Resource Announcements,
  • Study Type:Genome Sequencing Study,
  • Source: 10.1128/mra.00001-25, PMID: 40862361
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